Wings for Per

"'You are strong,' said the colonel to Per, 'for you are going into battle not to conquer and make people slaves, but to free them. Out of the darkness grew your spirit which will break the enemy's strength. And you and the others like you will carry the victory on, each of you in his own land. Never in the days of happiness to come must you forget the will to sacrifice which the war has taught you. For then you will have won not only the war but also the peace.'"

Originally published in 1944, this is the story of a Norwegian boy growing up pre-WWII who learns about freedom and the value of defending that right, and eventually becomes a WWII flyer. Through beautiful illustrations, in the D'Aulaires unmistakable style, Per's journey from his hometown, to America, and then his return as a pilot, readers will see his will to protect and free his family and homeland from tyranny. Book also includes extensive historical background information on the real-life Per and his adventures.

About the Authors: After the publication of Ola in 1932, the work of Ingri and Edgar d'Aulaire has needed no introduction - their beautiful picture books have delighted countless children ever since. Ingri Mortenson and Edgar Parin d'Aulaire met in Munich where both were studying art in the 1920's. Ingri had grown up in Norway; Edgar, the son of a noted portrait painter, was born in Switzerland and had lived in Paris and Florence. Shortly after their marriage, they moved to the United States and began to create the picture books that have established their reputation for unique craftsmanship. Their books were known for their vivid lasting color. a result of the pain-staking process of stone lithography used for all their American history biographies. This was an old world craft in which they were both expert, which involved actually tracing their images on large slabs of Bavarian limestone. Throughout their long careers, Ingri and Edgar worked as a team on both art and text. Their research took them to the actual places of their biographies, including the countries of Italy, Portugal and Spain when they were researching Columbus; to the hills of Virginia while they researched Washington; and to the wilds of Kentucky and Illinois for Abraham Lincoln, winner of the Caldecott Medal. The fact that they spoke 5 languages fluently served them well in their European travels and in their research of original documents. Since their deaths in the 1980's, Ingri and Edgar's books and works have been kept alive by their two sons Ola and Nils.